


Hunters of the Night

by UnintendedDesires



Category: Companions of the Night - Vivian Vande Velde
Genre: F/M, Hunted Vampires, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-20
Updated: 2014-02-10
Packaged: 2018-01-05 06:28:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1090705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnintendedDesires/pseuds/UnintendedDesires
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a long ago tragedy, Kerry and her father devote their lives to the hunt. They keep their town safe from the cruel and vicious. But one night they pick the wrong target and vengeance threatens all that Kerry knows. Now she is the prey.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Monster

**Author's Note:**

> An AU rework. I own nothing but the plot.

Standing in her favorite robe, hair damp from her recent shower, Kerry roughly uncorked a bottle of white wine and poured herself a glass. Isaiah had called and said he would be running a little late, so she knew he wouldn’t mind. She had more time to get ready for their date and the bundle of nerves that had been twisting her stomach all day calmed. She wasn’t accustomed to dating, and even though she had been seeing Isaiah longer than any previous guy, she was still worried he would run off if everything wasn’t perfect. But she was relieved. Even as the smell of lasagna filled her tiny kitchen, Kerry could still hardly believe that she actually had a night off.

As soon as the sun went down, she was usually running surveillance or helping her father hunt. And hunting in their world didn’t entail dressing in camouflage and trudging through the forest. It involved weeks of study, confirmation of a dangerous predator, breaking and entering, and murder. They had the names and addresses of every vampire in the county and it was up to her father’s team to weed out the most dangerous ones and snuff them out.

Most of the time, the job wasn’t perilous. Vampires didn’t kill often, and when they did, it was because it was absolutely necessary. Too long in between kills and a vampire would lose all rational thought and turn into a complete monster. They also killed to defend themselves against the ignorant hunters who believed all vampires were evil and should be exterminated. Sometimes, these hunters posed more of a danger to her team than their quarry did. But some vampires took pleasure from torture and nightly killings. Her team’s main objective was to eliminate this threat. Tonight, however, Kerry’s father was training a new recruit and Kerry was given a night off.

It couldn’t have come at a better time. Their last mission had trudged up memories she had spent years trying to bury. The female vampire was older in immortal years, therefore stronger, but insanity always came at varying times for the undead. Sometimes it set in right after the change and sometimes it took centuries. Kerry would have pitied the female, had it not been for the dozens of children that had been ripped apart by the monster’s hands. The thing had also put up a hell of a fight, leaving a long gash down the left side of Kerry’s torso. Luckily it hadn’t been deep, and the stitches had been removed last week.

The only similarity between her most recent mission and her first kill was that they were both female, but even that was enough to remind her of the beginning. The beginning of her life as a hunter and the end of her life of domesticity. Kerry shook her head and went to turn off the oven. Tonight was her night to be normal and forget about murderous vampires and she was going to make the best of it. A knock at the door disrupted her from her thoughts and she quickly downed the rest of her wine as she went to answer it. She paused in the hall and frowned. No one had called for her to let them up and she wasn’t expecting Isaiah for another thirty minutes. _It could be a neighbor asking to borrow a cup of sugar or something,_ Kerry thought as she slowly moved toward the door.

She looked through the peep hole and saw the small figured resident of apartment number 214 standing in the hall, looking around inquisitively. She unlocked the door and opened it to face the short, middle-aged woman who peered at her from behind a pair of think framed glasses.

“Hello Margret.” Kerry said with faux sweetness. The woman was downright annoying and Kerry couldn’t stand her. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“Well, Miss Nowicki,” Margret said, with rude exaggeration on the miss. “Some idiot of a delivery boy left this package addressed to you outside of my door. How on earth someone can be as stupid as to leave a package on the wrong floor, much less at the wrong apartment number, is beyond me.” Only now did Kerry notice the small parcel that the overbearing woman was holding. It looked a little beaten up and Kerry wouldn’t have been surprised if the nosey hen had opened it.

“Thank you for bringing it up to me, Margret,” she said, reaching for the package. Margret pulled back, taking the package out of her reach.

“My pleasure, Miss. Nowicki, but if I may? I…I think someone is spying on you.” Kerry raised her eyebrows skeptically, but the woman looked serious, if not frighteningly concerned. Margret had never shown any kind of warmth toward Kerry in all the years she had lived here, but she suddenly looked scared for her life.

“What makes you say that, Mrs. Frobisher?” Kerry said, respectfully using her surname. The woman looked around nervously.

“I’ll admit that I opened the package. I have a terrible curiosity and it _was_ left on my doorstep,” Margret said sheepishly. “Just open it yourself and see if you come to the same conclusion. I think you should call the cops.” She finished gravelly, her voice drifting to a whisper. She gave the package to Kerry with shaking hands. Then she turned and walked briskly down the hall, looking around suspiciously.

Kerry stood there for a moment, then backed into her apartment and locked the door. The parcel felt heavy and foreboding in her hands and she walked into the living room to set it on the recently cleaned coffee table. She stared at it and for some reason it intimidated her. Whether because of Margret’s warning or the lack of clutter surrounding it, she didn’t know. Finally she sat down on the couch and reached for it. The tape had lost its stickiness, proving that Margret had indeed opened it.

She pulled back the flaps and found a large manila envelope folded inside. As she reached for it she noticed there was no writing on it. She glanced at the front of the box and saw that there was also no return address. _Figures_ , she thought nervously. Unfolding the envelope slowly, Kerry’s heart began to race; she was sure she wasn’t going to like what she found inside. She felt the glossiness of photographs when she reached inside and sure enough, she pulled out a stack of them. She observed the first one and felt her blood run cold.

It was clearly of her, taken quite recently. She remembered the day it had been shot. A few days ago her washer had broken and she was forced to go to a laundry mat. She had asked Isaiah to go with her so she wouldn’t feel so alone. The photo showed her smiling as Isaiah cursed at one of the machines for eating his quarters. She could tell that the photographer was standing on the other side of the street, possibly sitting outside on the patio of the Italian restaurant that she and Isaiah had considered for dinner.

The next was of her carrying her garbage out to the trash can behind the apartment building, chatting with an old man that had offered to go with her. The next showed her and her friend Nelle outside of a grocery store. She flipped through the rest with growing horror. They were all of her doing random things and they all looked like stills of a surveillance video; her shopping with Nelle, her going to the bookstore, her visiting Ian and her father, her kissing Isaiah outside of her apartment, her watching TV _inside_ of her apartment. They all looked to be in reverse chronological order, going back weeks. She noticed they were all taken at night as well.

The pictures of her with her friends and family she considered threats. This creep knew where her little brother lived! And just when she thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did. The last picture was of her behind the wheel of a moving van, and behind the van, were two figures carrying what looked to be a rolled up rug. It wouldn’t have meant anything to Margret, but Kerry knew what was inside of that rug.

“Shit,” Kerry muttered, her hands shaking violently. She moved to set it down with the other photos, now spread out all over her coffee table, when a piece of paper fluttered to the ground. She picked it up and read the small typed out message, her heart beating loudly in her ears.

_Thought I’d do a little hunting of my own._

She read it five times to be sure that it said what she thought it said. It suddenly felt very hot in the room and she felt like she was going to be sick.

“Shit,” she said again, panic making her voice loud. Someone knew what she did in her spare time and they were clearly upset about it. But why had they left the pictures outside of someone else’s door. It would have been just as easy to leave them outside of hers. Easier, seeing as how whoever was hunting her could have posed as the deliverer and forced their way into her apartment. _No,_ she thought after a second, _I would have screamed or made a ruckus…and I definitely wouldn’t have let them in willingly even if they had asked to use the bathroom or something._ But it still didn’t make any sense. Leaving it outside of her apartment would have been simple. Leaving it for Margret to find seemed unnecessarily precautious, unless it was all just…

“A distraction,” Kerry whispered out loud. She stood up as she realized this and almost flipped over the couch in her haste to get to her gun. Her heart skipped a beat as she stopped suddenly, her body rocking forward as her momentum balanced out. The silhouette of a man blocked her path and as she watched with wide eyes he stepped forward. He was surprisingly young looking, with black hair and blue eyes that paralyzed her with their gaze. The cobalt button-down he was wearing not only made his irises all the more startling, but also emphasized the paleness of his skin. A zing of recognition went through her, she just couldn’t remember where she had seen him before. He took another step toward her and she responded by taking a step back. His face betrayed no emotion whatsoever but his gaze chilled her to the core.

“So you’re the one who’s stalking me?” Kerry said boldly, despite the terror radiating through her. The man smirked, the act filling his face with life. Having gotten over her initial fear, Kerry noticed that the man was very attractive. That coupled with his pale skin and predatory grace, Kerry concluded that he had to be a vampire.

“I guess you could call it that,” he said, his voice flowing like silk over her skin. “But you and your team started following me first so don’t try and act innocent.” Kerry opened her mouth to deny this but she suddenly remembered where she had seen him.

“You’re Regina’s lover...Ethan.” She said, moving to put more space between them. He took another step forward. Regina had been her last assignment. She quickly learned the identity of her young companion, Ethan Bryne, whom she had dismissed as a threat when she confirmed his ignorance of Regina’s crimes. He definitely seemed to be a threat now…

“You certainly seem to be well informed,” He said dryly, “However I _was_ Regina’s…friend I guess you could say, not her lover.”

“What do you want?” Kerry asked after a few second of silence that seemed like an eternity.

“I want to know why you feel like you can interfere in our business. We police ourselves. We don’t need humans to judge and sentence us. It’s not your place. Vampires are out of your league” Kerry could tell he was trying to keep his anger in check, but his voice rose as he finished and his eyes grew hard.

“Out of our league?” Kerry asked, her own anger getting the better of her. “We're very good at what we do. We don't hurt anyone who doesn't deserve it. And we're unbiased. Would you have been able to think the worst of your _friend?_ You should be thanking us; you didn't have to get your hands dirty!” Kerry regretted her words as soon as they left her mouth. This man was dangerous and he proved it by closing the space between them in an instant. She gasped in pain as he gripped her arm with bruising strength.

“I want all the files you have on us; all the addresses, pictures, birthdates, everything. You give me that and maybe I will let you live.” He met her gaze with grave eyes. She shivered and tried to pull away from him.

“I don’t know where they keep them,” She lied. She wasn’t about to hand over their whole archive to one vengeful vampire. His grip tightened and Kerry cried out, her knees buckling beneath her. He held her up by the arm he was slowly mangling. “My boyfriend is on his way,” She gasped, looking up at him through tear filled eyes, “You can’t just kill me and expect to get away with it!”

“Did _you_ think you could get away with what you did?” He asked venomously.

“She was insane! She was killing children! How could you not see that?” Kerry asked, anger and outrage breaking past her pain. She felt his grip loosen and she fell in a lump on the floor. He strode away angrily and when he came back he had her cell phone in his hand.

“Call your boyfriend and cancel your date. Tell him you fell ill or something,” He said as he tossed her the phone, “If you say anything else…I will tear off something you will sorely miss.”


	2. Malice

Kerry’s fingers shook violently as she scrolled through her contacts to find Isaiah’s number. Ethan had again taken hold of her arm and was now sitting on the couch next to her. He had cruelly exerted too much pressure when he lifted her off the ground to drag her back to the living room, and though his grip was gentle now, her arm still throbbed beneath his fingers. The chances of her revealing her current situation without Ethan catching on and ripping the limb off completely were very slim.  


She didn’t want Isaiah involved anyway. What would he do? Call the police? She would most certainly be dead by the time they arrived. She was sure she wouldn’t survive the night and she didn’t want to doom anyone else to the same fate. Her only hope was that Ethan was telling the truth about Regina not being his lover. Perhaps if their bond wasn’t as strong as she had initially thought, he wouldn’t be so set on revenge. Wishful thinking on her part.

Ethan sighed impatiently just as she found Isaiah’s number. She was about to hit the send button when he jerked her arm and gave her a threatening glare, clearly telling her to watch what she said. She winced and acknowledged his silent warning with a nod. She pressed the button and waited anxiously as the phone began to ring. It wasn’t long before Isaiah picked up.  


“Hey Kerry. I’m really sorry I’m so late,” he said quickly, not even giving her the chance to say hello. “I just got home and I’m about to change. I should be there soon.” Kerry took a deep breath and glanced at Ethan. He waited expectantly for her to say something.  


“Actually Isaiah, I was calling to tell you that I’m suddenly not feeling very well. I think it’s some kind of stomach virus,” she tried to make herself sound convincing, but it wasn’t easy with Ethan glaring at her like she was utterly transparent. Isaiah, apparently, didn’t notice anything amiss.  


“Damn. Kerry, I’m sorry. Do you need anything? I wouldn’t mind keeping you company until you get better. I am a nurse after all.” His humor did not hide the genuine concern in his voice and Kerry’s throat constricted. Tears blurred her vision and Ethan’s grip tightened minutely at the sign of her distress.  


“No, that’s all right. Vomit isn’t very attractive,” she laughed weakly. She heard Isaiah sigh. “I’m really sorry.” Her voice cracked in the middle of her apology.  


“It’s not your fault,” he said glumly. “If I didn’t have to work so late we could have done something earlier.”  


“Please don’t blame yourself. Things happen that we can’t control.” Ethan shifted closer, obviously not liking the way she had worded that last sentence. Kerry stared defiantly at him, but as she didn’t speak to elaborate or shout out her predicament, Ethan did nothing other than glare.  


“I know. These things just seem to happen a lot to us. Maybe I can ask for a different shift at the hospital,” Isaiah said hopefully. A sad smile twisted Kerry’s lips as she found herself wishing that she actually did work as a PI who liked to do her legwork at night. The lie explained a lot of the stranger contents of her apartment and random work schedule; and though she thought the cover was lame, Isaiah had been fascinated.  


“Yeah, maybe. That would be great,” she hoped he didn’t hear the doubt in her voice and think it was because of him. “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”  


“Okay. I hope you feel better soon.”  


“I hope so too.” She couldn’t help but glance at Ethan as she said these words. His expression revealed nothing.  


“I love you. Bye.” He hung up before she could reply. Tears brimmed over and spilled down her face. It was the first time he had said those three little words, and knowing how closed off Kerry had been in the beginning of their relationship, he didn’t expect her to reciprocate the sentiment until she was ready. A lump rose painfully in her throat when she realized that she indeed loved him and now she would never get to tell him. Ethan, oblivious to her despair, took the phone from her and slipped it into his pocket.  


“If you kill me, they won’t rest until they find you,” Kerry said, referring to not only Isaiah but to the team as well. Ethan stood up and made his way around the small living area.  


“If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead by now and they would never find me. They wouldn’t even know the details. You would just disappear. Nothing would be left behind to suggest any foul play. I could make it look like you got sick of everything and ran off. Or that you found someone significantly more interesting than your current beau and decided to elope. You may have managed to keep yourself alive during the course of your seriously poor choice in career, but I’m not the small game you usually go after.” There was no boast in his statement. Only eerie truth. He sauntered over to her TV and started to flick through her small DVD collection. He smirked at some of the titles and frowned at others. Kerry waited in uncomfortable silence, watching him as though he would sprout a second head at any moment. She jumped when he started to laugh and for one terrifying moment, she though he had read her mind.  


“Seriously?” he asked incredulously, still chuckling. In his hand he held a movie starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. “This is probably the most monotonous, pitiable piece of cinema ever made, and you being in possession of it, is quite hilarious. I took you for more of a Blade type of girl.” He shook his head in mock disapproval. His humorous tone was disarming and she felt incredibly stupid for the whole mind reading thing.  


“If you’re not going to kill me, then what do you want?” Kerry demanded. Ethan’s good mood instantly turned sour. He sighed and abandoned the movies for a framed picture of her and her father.  


“I thought we went over this. I need the files. Think of it as a favor really. I take them off your hands before some really bad boogey man finds out about them.”  


“I have no way of getting the files. It’s above my pay rate and all that,” Kerry replied sarcastically. Ethan set the picture down gently and turned to stare at her, his eyes flashing darkly.  


“You may be forgetting,” he said lowly as he made his way back to where she was sitting. He bent to pick up the picture of her and Isaiah from the table, “that I could easily find every single person you love and rip them to pieces.” He moved the other photos aside and sat on the table, directly in front of her, their knees almost touching. He flung the picture into her lap. Kerry stared down at it.  


“I know you’re lying. Are a few gigs of data worth the lives of your family?” The picture of her father and Ian landed in her lap next. “Will you look over their mutilated corpses and feel proud that it was the result of refusing me what I want? Defiance is not a redeeming quality, Kerry. Especially when others are counting on you.” It took Kerry every bit of her remaining strength to look up at him.  


“How do I know you won’t just kill us all once I hand the files over? “ Kerry said coldly. Ethan smiled.  


“You’ll just have to have some faith in me.” Kerry snorted humorlessly. Ethan’s expression sobered. “Either way, you don’t really have any other option but to do as I ask.”  


“I guess you’re right,” Kerry said evenly. She had looked away from him again at some point and she flinched as he reached out and lifted her chin. He cupped her face gently, but she knew he could snap her neck with a flick of his wrist. She was forced to look into his eyes.  


“I need you to understand the severity of the situation you’re in,” he said gravely. Kerry watched as his pupils widened, slowly swallowing the deep blue of his iris. “If you fuck up in any way, I’ll break into that virgin throat of yours and drain every ounce of blood in your body.” His fingers trailed down the side of her neck, making her shudder. “I’m not usually a sadist, but I’ll make sure it is the most painful thing you have ever experienced in your life,” his nails scraped sharply against her skin. “All this will be after I make you watch the extermination of everyone around you of course,” he finished savagely.  


“I understand,” Kerry said shakily as she leaned away from him in disgust/fear. His eyes were now completely black and he tracked her movement like the predator he was.  


“Good,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll be needing this.” He took her phone out of his pocket and crushed it before she could even protest. He then placed the pieces of ruined hardware in her palm.  


“You could have just turned it off or something,” she muttered, staring down at the mess in outrage.  


“That wouldn’t have been as much fun,” Ethan said, as if this should have been obvious. Kerry gave him the most venomous glare she could manage. It still didn’t even come close to his answering stare. His eyes passed over her face and then down to her robe. His resulting smirk coupled with his black eyes was downright sinister. “I suppose you can get dressed now.” He stood up and Kerry followed. She turned to make her way to her bedroom but Ethan stopped her.  


“I’m going to assume you’re smart enough not to pull something and can get dressed by yourself,” he said softly, pulling her up against him roughly. His lips brushed her ear and cool breath ran across her skin. “Remember what I told you,” he whispered. Kerry pushed at his chest and he allowed her to break free. She almost fell backwards in her haste to get away from him. Ethan chuckled. “Wear something warm.”  


Kerry practically ran from the living room. She left the door open behind her, expecting Ethan to come barreling into the room if she closed it. She stood in the middle of the room and looked around. She would probably never see it again. Ethan was a vampire and an angry one at that. He wouldn’t leave her alive. She sighed and walked slowly to the closet. Adrenaline shot through her like an arrow, freezing her where she stood, as she suddenly remembered her emergency stash of weapons hidden behind a false wall at the back of her closet. Kerry felt stupid for not thinking of it before. Afraid that any sound of hesitation would tip the demon off, Kerry tried to adopt the pace of someone relaxed. Not that anyone in their right mind would be relaxed in this situation, Kerry thought scathingly. She cursed her tendency to overthink things under pressure.  


She opened the closet door, jumping when she saw her own face reflected back at her. She cursed at the mirror. Scared of my own damned reflection now? She was really losing it. Cautiously, Kerry began to flip through the hangers, making her way toward the back of the closet. Had it suddenly gotten bigger? Jackets, sweaters and jeans crowded around her as she tried not to wrench everything off their racks and throw it to the ground in her haste. It still managed to feel like a whole hour had passed before she was halfway through, even after she picked up the pace. Sweat started to bead up on her forehead as she got closer. It would take him seconds to be at her side if he guessed what she was up to.  


Taking deep breaths, she tried to calm her racing heart. Seeing as she was already in a state of fear and apprehension when Ethan had ordered her to change, Kerry hoped he would ignore the sounds of her speeding heart and shallow breath. She prayed that he would assume she was having some sort of emotional breakdown, which probably wasn’t too far from the truth. Her fingers finally brushed against the back of the closet. She found the small crack between the false wall and the side of the closet, slid the nails of her right hand in and pulled the secret door out of the way. Her eyes first focused on the safe. It contained important documents (not the ones Ethan was looking for of course) and a small stash of money. Nothing she needed now. Above it, however, was a beige curtain meant to conceal the small armory she had prepared for situations just like this. She looked behind her nervously, half expecting to see Ethan’s shadowed form standing menacingly in the doorway.  


A sigh of relief almost escaped her when she saw that he wasn’t there. Turning back, she caught something out of place. Something didn’t feel right, though the exact reason for her rising dread evaded her. She had seen it for a brief moment, a change so minuscule that she couldn’t focus on it again. As if in a dream, or rather a nightmare, she saw her hand move forward to rip the curtain out of the way. Her heart sank at the sight reveled to her. They were gone. Every single knife, gun, blunt instrument, everything. Gone. The pegs on which they hung the only hint at their every being there to begin with.  


She barely registered the small noise behind her but she instantly knew she wasn't alone. She was expecting a blow to the back of her head or teeth ripping at her throat, but the gentle stroke of fingers along her spine was much more unsettling. Fear rose up from whatever dark place it had been hiding and held her captive, its deadly grip choking her slowly. She didn't move or resist in any way. Her hope for a swift death was all she had to hold on to.  


"I told you to be a good girl, Kerry." His voice was dark, full of menace. He slipped his arms around her as if he was embracing a lover, not about to brutally commit murder. She was glad she couldn't see his face, see the black of his eyes or the lengthening of his fangs. He pressed his lips to the back of her neck softly. Kerry's knees buckled. Her only support was the arms of the creature behind her, smelling her, preparing for the kill. “I didn’t think you would fail this soon. Not with so many people counting on you.” His tone was softer now, even sounding a bit sad. He nuzzled the skin at the crook of her neck and pulled her closer.  


Something snapped within her as she was pulled flush against him and she began to struggle frantically. Ethan’s arms formed a cage around her that tightened the more she tried to break free. “Shh,” he whispered, kissing the spot behind her ear. “You’ll only make this more painful.” A scream was caught in her throat. His crushing strength had forced the air from her lungs before she could take a breath to cry out. His lips grazed her skin, tracing a path down her shoulder and back up to her ear.  
The smooth texture of silk slid over her arms as her robe started to come loose from her ceaseless fight. A strangled moan escaped Kerry’s lips as she felt and heard her rips pop beneath his arm. She stopped moving immediately, knowing that any more pressure would snap her bones. Ethan must have known it too because his hold on her loosened slightly. Air found its way back into her lungs in a burning rush that almost had her passing out, which she would have greatly welcomed. The bastard was obviously enjoying every moment of this. The proof was pressing on the small of her back.  


“If you’re going to kill me then do it,” she hissed, “Stop playing with me.”  


“I don’t play, Kerry. Besides, I think you’ll enjoy this.” His husky tone and the words themselves had Kerry’s momentary anger swiftly morphing back to terror. Teeth lightly scraped across the flesh of her throat, sending a shudder throughout her body. Please God, let me pass out, Kerry’s mind screamed. It was obvious his canines hadn’t elongated to their predatory length, but the feel of them that close to her carotid didn’t do much to calm her.  


“Please, don’t do this,” her stomach twisted at the pitiful, weak tone of her voice. She knew it would only incite him further, but she couldn’t help but beg. Her whole body jumped as she felt a small prick on the side of her throat. She saw a flash of silver out of the corner of her eye.  


“You shouldn’t play with knives,” Ethan said quietly, pressing the blade of her favorite dagger against the soft flesh below her ear. “You could really hurt someone with this.” As if proving his point, Ethan let the blade lightly score her skin, releasing a small droplet of blood that ran down between her breasts. She could feel Ethan’s gaze follow the small bead, and his grip on her once again grew unbearably tight. Before she could protest however, she fell to the ground in a painful heap.  


He threw a cream colored sweater, along with a pair of jeans to the floor beside her. “Guess you’re not smart enough to get dressed by yourself.” Kerry couldn’t quite catch her breath and her heart was hammering away in her ears, making it difficult to hear Ethan’s quiet words. But she could certainly hear the venom dripping from his statement. She wanted to move, to scoot away from him or something, but her body felt wound up as tight as a coil, tension freezing every nerve. His eyes were still deadly black as her gazed at her, his face no longer reflecting any human emotion whatsoever. She started to shake, unable to tear her eyes away from his.  


Ethan looked away, almost reluctantly. He started to twirl her knife around between his long fingers. “I couldn’t imagine a little thing like you using this on someone,” he said, his tone strangely conversational now. Kerry bristled at his nonchalance. She bit back her retort, fearing that she had pushed him enough tonight and one more slip up would definitely be the death of her. Ethan’s blank expression twisted into a smirk as he looked back at her. His eyes raked down her body. “You might want to fix your robe.”  
Kerry glanced down quickly and found that her robe had indeed slipped down her shoulders, exposing more of her chest than was appropriate. She pulled the fabric around her frantically, flushing from anger more than embarrassment. She looked up but Ethan had silently retreated from her sight. She knew he didn’t need a knife to kill her, but him being in possession of one still unnerved her. She stood up slowly, bringing the clothes Ethan had pick out with her.  


Kerry was used to dangerous situations (she had practically been maimed many occasions) but this was definitely the most fucked up position she had ever been in. And with no possible escape in sight, Kerry knew she had no choice but to do exactly as she was told from now on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you guess the movie Ethan had a laugh at? I feel like he would definitely hate it. But don't worry, I don't share his opinion at all! It's one of my favorites : )


	3. Mourning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun with this chapter! Can you spot the easter eggs? Not that they're well hidden or anything...I like to pay homage to Vivian's original work with a quote here and there. It's not laziness, I promise! I know my writing style is a bit strange given that it changes every chapter, and I'm trying to work on that! Anyway...enjoy :)

Kerry cautiously made her way back into her room, surprise and unease cutting through her when she saw that Ethan was nowhere in sight. She slid over to the open bedroom door and could barely make out his voice. He obviously had a cell of his own and was speaking into it with hushed but urgent tones. Kerry strained her ears to try and decipher the conversation but soon realized that Ethan wasn’t speaking English. She listened intently, hoping he might be using a language she knew. She thought it might be French after hearing a few words, but as she wasn’t fluent, she gave up on trying to overhear something important and shut the door quietly. She heard Ethan pause but he didn’t come to investigate. He knew Kerry wouldn’t try anything more tonight, even if she hadn’t run out of options. He had broken her. She just hoped after all was said and done, he would kill her and leave everyone else untouched.  


Kerry felt her stomach heave at this train of thought, and quickly ran to her adjoining bathroom. The only thing that she had consumed that evening came bubbling up her throat and into the toilet. The sour taste of wine mixed with the bitter taste of bile had her stomach twisting once more. She continued to gag, but nothing more came up. She leaned over the cool porcelain, sweat beading her forehead and tears stinging her eyes. She let out a sob and fell back hard against the tub. Trembling, she rose to her feet slowly. She numbly flushed the toilet and turned toward the mirror. A hopeless, frighteningly dead pair of eyes stared back at her. She tore her gaze away and managed to get some cold water flowing in the sink. Her hands were shaking so badly, she was surprised she could manage the simple task. She splashed her face and rinsed her mouth out thoroughly, mouthwash following after the water alone failed to do the trick. Once the horrible taste was gone, she turned the tap and left the bathroom.  


She went back to the closet to get the clothes Ethan had picked out for her, too drained to find clothing by her own volition. She resisted the urge to crawl under the covers of her bed and pretend this was all a bad dream, knowing Ethan would be ticked off if he came in and found her sulking. Not that that was what she thought she was doing. Fearing for her life and trying to wish her way out of a terrifying situation didn’t exactly categorize as _sulking_. However, that was how someone- _something_ \- like Ethan was most likely to view it.  


Almost as if she had called out to him with her thoughts, the bedroom door burst open. Her important areas were covered by the simple pink cotton underwear set she had just put on, but she had never moved so fast in her life as she swiped her robe off the bed and covered herself fully. Ethan’s black eyes were trained on her and he looked murderous.  


“What did you say to him?!” he growled, advancing on her quickly. She scrambled back but he had her in his viselike grip in an instant.  


“What are you talking about?” It came out as a strangled squeak, but she knew he heard her perfectly. He shook her violently by her already rapidly bruising left arm. She screamed, tears of white hot pain blurring her vision. “Goddamn you, let go! Please!” She didn’t care if her demand was ruined by the begging she had tacked on the end. Deep muscle damage was most assuredly going to result from his powerful grip if he didn’t decide to just snap her fucking bones. He must have thought better of maiming her, as she was dropped to the ground for what seemed the millionth time. Sobbing, she curled herself around her arm protectively. She didn’t think it was broken, but it still hurt like hell.  


“You tipped him off somehow. Gave a code word or something.” His voice was now deadly calm.  


“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” Kerry bleated. Pain was turning her stomach, making her feel as though she would upchuck all over again.  


“Your boyfriend! He’s two blocks away, heading here,” disgust and irritation now colored his tone. She looked up at him in horror. Isaiah wasn’t a hunter, just an innocent civilian that she should never have gotten involved with. And she had just signed his death warrant. The fact that Ethan, getting over his initial rage, now spoke of Isaiah as though he were a particularly irksome fly was not lost on her. He would have no qualms exterminating, what in his eyes was, a pest  


“Please,” she gasped. “He doesn’t know anything. He’s probably just worried about me being sick!” He paused for a moment, tilting his head slightly and looking off into space. After a minute or so he pulled her up from the ground gently (by her right arm, thank God) and set her on her feet. She swayed slightly before daring a look into his eyes.  


“He’s trying to reach your cell.” he said quietly, a small smile playing on his lips, probably recalling how he had crushed the slim device like a soda can. “He’s leaving a message.” Again he went silent for a moment. “Looks like you’re not lying.” Hope flared in Kerry‘s chest. “He’s bringing you ginger ale. How sweet.” He sneered as he said this last bit. “Poor bastard. I’ll kill him quickly for your sake.” Kerry reeled back, panic seizing her mind and body as the tiny tendril of hope was extinguished.  


“NO! We can leave before he gets here! You touch him and I’ll kill you! I swear it! I’ll rip you apart!” She flung herself at him and started to beat both fists against his chest, ignoring the stinging pain in her arm. He pushed her back roughly and glared at her with those unnerving black eyes of his.  


“Don’t make empty threats. Anyway, we won’t be able to get away without crossing paths with him. He’s too close.”  


“Bullshit!” she bellowed as she righted herself. “I know you could have us out of here in five seconds!” He smirked coldly at her.  


“Even so, you’re supposed to be sick. He’ll be concerned if he finds that you are not here. Not to mention the panic your neighbor would cause once she tells any investigators about the photos. Can’t go alerting your hunting buddies now can we?” Kerry was on the verge of hysteria. Tears poured down her face as she shook with fury. She struggled to control herself and slowly walked toward the man, no, the _thing_ she so despised. He met her fierce gaze blankly.  


“If you hurt him,” her voice came out quiet but steady, “I will never stop fighting you. I will make my continued existence a living hell for you. You can kill everyone I love but I won’t stop fighting until you kill me too. And then where will that leave you? Back at square one with info on all you bloodsuckers out in cyberspace, where any one of the thousands of clever hunters in the world can find it and trace it all back to you. You think I’m bluffing? Why do you think we are so efficient? We cooperate with other cells outside of ourselves. You want those files, you’ll have to hack into databases that aren’t solely connected to our organization.”  


“I was prepared to keep this from you, the fact that others could so easily see that we were compromised, but I’ m telling you this now because you need me to get passed those firewalls and stay invisible.” Kerry had never been tech savvy, but navigating the electronic databases was required knowledge of all hunters. That she was exaggerating about the rest was something he didn’t need to know.  


He studied her intently and she hoped to God he didn’t call her bluff. Then he smiled cruelly. “You don’t think I could get the world’s most experienced hacker here and bypass everything without your help?”  


Kerry thought for a moment. Praying that she was right, she steeled herself and took a deep breath. “No, I don’t. Otherwise you wouldn’t be bothering with me.” She braced herself for what was to come next and to her utter amazement, Ethan chuckled.  


“Alright,” he said acquiescently, “we’ll just have to come up with a plan that doesn’t involve me feeding early tonight. What do you suggest? And be quick about it.”  


“Leaving?” she repeated hopefully. Ethan shook his head and her heart sank.  


“What I said before still stands. He can’t suspect anything untoward happened to you.” He suddenly let his eyes rake over her scantily clad form for the second time that night. “Or maybe that’s exactly what we want.” He smiled brightly and clasped her hand before towing her out the room and into the living area. “I have an idea but you won’t like it.” He sat down on the couch and pulled her down into his lap. Her eyes widened and she pushed against him, trying to escape is grip. Obviously she didn’t go anywhere or accomplish anything by her struggles. “Stop moving and listen,” he said threateningly.  


“Can I at least have my robe back?” she begged.  


“No. Now listen carefully. Your boys’ life depends on it,” he said ominously. “The only way to get him to leave, intact and not at all suspicious, is to break his poor little heart. Emotional pain, nothing more.” Kerry’s eyebrows knit together in confusion.  


“What do you mean?”  


“You’re going to cheat on him of course.” It was several moments later that Kerry finally grasped what he meant.  


“Absolutely not.” She pushed against him in vain once more, her stomach twisting in revulsion. Ethan held tight, his expression shifting into annoyance.  


“Look I’m not exactly excited about this either, sweetheart.”  


“Somehow I doubt that.” Suddenly the world began to spin and she was pinned against the sofa with his darkened form looming over her.  


“Don’t flatter yourself. My reaction earlier was all to do with the prospect of a fresh kill, not any forced sexual abuse.” She could barely make out his expression as the source of light was behind him, casting his features into darkness, but she knew enough to guess that she had offended him. “Now we are going to do this to avoid unnecessary collateral damage. You are going to play your part convincingly or I will tear out his throat. Do you understand?” Kerry nodded helplessly. “We have about five minutes before he comes through that door. I’m assuming he has a key as he means to surprise you, am I correct?” Another nod. “Good. We are going to practice now. Keep the loathing hidden and I’ll do the same, okay?” She had barely inclined her head to nod again when she felt the crush of his lips against her own.  


Keeping her eyes screwed shut, she reluctantly moved her mouth against his. She was expecting to taste the awful tang of blood but she found that he tasted like nothing. Still, he sensed her apprehension because he broke the kiss and sat up, his eyes glaring down at her. In the blink of an eye he had pulled his shirt off, only bothering to undo the first couple of buttons, and tossed it away. Kerry shuddered beneath him. “You’ll have to do better than that, love.” His soothing tone, no doubt meant to relax her, only ratcheted her unease higher. “Pretend I’m him if you must.” he added quietly.  


She took a deep breath before he leaned down again. She could see the taunt muscles of his stomach bunch up and she gulped fearfully. “Close your eyes,” he said softly. She did as she was told and felt the cool flesh of his upper body press against hers. _Strange,_ she thought. _I expected him to be colder_. Again, she felt his lips connect with hers, but gently this time. She tried to pretend that the hands brushing up her sides were Isaiah’s, but she shook like a leaf anyway. “It’s okay,” he breathed against her mouth and she really did try to let herself go. She lifted her hands, despite the fact that they felt as heavy as lead, and wound her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck. With her eyes closed, it was easy to imagine that the soft, silky strands were Isaiah’s tawny locks and she pulled him down against her more firmly. Her legs parted slowly, bringing their bodies flush against one another. His tongue swept the seam of her lips questioningly and she opened her mouth in response.  


One of his hands, which had been firmly gripping her just below her ribs, slowly slid down the outside of her body and against her thigh. He then lifted her leg and wrapped it around his waist, still continuing the ever deepening kiss. _Christ, he’s good at this,_ Kerry thought despite herself. Her inner turmoil was gradually starting to ebb away in a flurry of hormones. It had been so long since she had been in a position like this. Of course she and Isaiah were serious, but he always let her take the lead sexually, and she was loath to admit she enjoyed letting someone else hold the reigns.  


Their kissing grew almost desperate now and Kerry didn’t immediately register Ethan’s hand moving upward until she felt his thumb ghost over her left nipple. Even through the cloth of her bra, her body reacted violently. A shudder coursed through her and she gasped in surprise before clamping her teeth down on his lower lip. She had done it in anger but she couldn’t deny the zing of electricity that had shot straight to her core in reaction to the feather light touch. Rather than cry out in anger, however, Ethan groaned. It didn’t sound pained at all and Kerry’s stomach tensed. “No biting,” Ethan said breathlessly, his whole body going deathly still. Kerry’s scathing retort died on her lips when she opened her eyes and glanced up at his face. His own eyes were shut tight and he seemed to be fighting some internal war. His lids then snapped back quite suddenly and Kerry found herself staring into the bottomless black pits of his pupils.  


Her heart was pounding so fast and loud she was sure it was going to break free of her chest at any moment. She saw his nostrils flare and knew he could smell her fear. Heat lit up her face when she realized he could also probably smell her body’s reluctant arousal. They were on very precarious ground now. She smelled like turned on prey, a vampire’s wet dream. She could already see the strange fullness to his closed mouth, knowing that his fangs had left their sheath. She kept absolutely still and watched him closely. His chest was no longer rising and falling and she knew he had ceased breathing. Astoundingly, the cobalt blue of his irises was gradually growing wider, a sign that he was regaining control. He sat up and pulled her with him, arranging them so that she was now straddling him. Her face lit up once more as she settled on top of what was surely his erection.  


“Stop doing that,” he said in irritation.  


“Doing what?” she asked, bewildered.  


“Blushing like that.” Before she could form a reply, he had pulled her forward and was once again kissing her. Her hands found their way back into his raven locks and she returned the kiss fervently. Was this some kind of vampire mind control or was she really doing this? She broke the searing kiss and let her head fall back, feeling his mouth now questing down her throat and licking a hot trail between her breasts. This was getting way out of hand. Her brain urgently begged her to stop but her body was on auto pilot, seeking out more and more pleasure. And Ethan was answering this carnal need, his teeth now grazing over her heated flesh. This should have horrified her, but she felt exhilarated. Every experience and decision in her life up until this was cold, calculated. Plans left no room for failure and to finally let go and face the unknown filled her with a rush that she had never felt before. The disgusted screaming in the back of her mind was still trying to claw its way through the muddled, hormone driven desire, trying to make her see reason. And to no avail it seemed.  


A faint scratching reached her ears but she ignored it. The sound of something heavy hitting the ground finally pierced through everything and she whipped her head to the right, the direction of the door. Isaiah stood in the doorway, grasping the key she had given him in a white- knuckling grip. Her mouth, which was likely red and swollen, gaped open. She knew this was supposed to happen, but she was utterly unprepared for the look of complete betrayal on her boyfriend’s face. Betrayal was swiftly followed by grief, rage, hatred, and finally cold indifference.  


“Isaiah…” it came out as a broken plea, but his expression was closed off, almost as if he hadn’t heard her. He dropped the key to the floor and as he turned to leave she saw the unmistakable shine of tears in his emerald eyes. “Isaiah, wait!” She tried to detangle herself from Ethan’s limbs but he yanked her back. She turned a withering glare in his direction but he only shook his head at her. She looked back just in time to see Isaiah slam the door shut behind him, the echoing blast of sound causing her to jump. She immediately pushed against Ethan, bile crawling up her throat again. He let her go this time and she got two steps toward the bedroom before she crumpled to her knees, a strangled cry escaping her throat just before she hurled right there on the carpet.  


Her head pounded painfully with the force of her sobbing and she barely registered her robe being placed over her shoulders. It was a whole minute before she regained control of herself and looked up to see Ethan picking up the bottle Isaiah had dropped. He had put his shirt back on sometime during her meltdown and annoyance surged as she processed the fact that she _still_ wasn’t fully clothed. Kerry angrily wiped the tears from her face as Ethan knelt in front of her and offered her the soda.  


“I would wait a minute before opening it, but looks like you could actually use this now.” He glanced at the soiled carpet, nose wrinkling slightly. Kerry gaped at him. The sincerity in his tone was convincing but she knew better. He was making fun of her. She took the bottle from him after schooling her scandalized expression, only to throw it full force at his retreating form. He easily dodged the projectile and it sailed passed him, knocking a lamp off an end table and shattering it.  


“I hate you,” Kerry spat vehemently.  


Ethan looked up from the broken lamp, eyebrows raised. “That was childish,” he commented mildly. Kerry’s answering glare screamed defiance, but inside she braced herself for the consequence of her foolish action. Ethan, however, just smirked at her before crossing his arms over his chest, his posture domineering. “Well? Are you finally going to get dressed? Not that I’m complaining, but we really should get going.”  


_If only looks could kill_ , Kerry thought wrathfully, _you’d be dead five times over…_


End file.
